Mentoring

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• Philosophie et théologie

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• Publié par: ojuhyfub
• Nombre de lectures: 265
• Langue: Français

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Mentoring Seven Roles and Some Specifics

Martin J. Tobin

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hines, Illinois

In Homer’s legend, when Ulysses, the king of Ithaca, went away to make war on the Trojans, he left his infant son, Telemachus, in the hands of Mentor (1). Ulysses was gone for twenty years, and Mentor guided Telemachus in practical skills, such as archery and wrestling, and also provided advice on moral matters. Giving advice, however, is naive and presumptuous (2). Naive, because experience cannot be transmitted; instead, each generation has to acquire it for itself. Presumptuous, because no one has a monopoly on wisdom; and those imagining themselves well en dowed are the least wise (3). Books containing advice for young professionals come in two forms: compendia of tedious pieties, and amoral manuals of dodges and shady practices for getting on in the world (4). An attempt to provide a noncynical description of the good mentor inevitably falls into the former category and exposes an author to accusations of moralizing oversimplification. Yet fear of being labeled a selfrighteous moralizer is insufficient defense for shy ing away from the challenge. A mentor can be defined as an older academician who takes a special interest in a younger person—a fellow or a junior member of faculty (1). The older person is called the mentor, but there is no good term for the younger person (5). The lack of a selfevident term to describe the object of the mentor’s interest bespeaks of much confusion on the subject. I focus solely on the mentoring of a fellow who wants to become a physician researcher. I make liberal use of quotations, not simply for calling on authority to buttress my case but for the illumination they provide.

SEVEN ROLES The physicianresearcher as mentor has at least seven roles to fill: teacher, sponsor, advisor, agent, role model, coach, and con fidante (1, 6, 7). The mentor needs to customize each role to match the characteristics of the fellow. The following description is an ideal after which mentors strive. It is also an ideal that perhaps no mentor can fully attain.

Teacher The mentor and laboratory assistants teach the fellow the techni cal skills unique to their field of research. The mentor guides the fellow in how to read in an efficient manner and how to reason from first principles. The fellow learns to write scientific manuscripts by getting back drafts covered in red ink. The men

Supported by a Merit Review grant from the Veterans Affairs Research Service Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Martin J. Tobin, M.D., Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital, Route 111N Hines, IL 60141. Email: [e-mail] This article has an online supplement, which is accessible from this issue’s table of contents online at www.atsjournals.org. Am J Respir Crit Care MedVol 170. pp 114–117, 2004 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.2405004 Internet address: www.atsjournals.org

tor teaches the fellow how to apply for grants, and how to review manuscripts (8). The mentor knows that education is not just the imparting of facts—after all, these can be obtained in a book (9). Instead, the ultimate goal of education is the formation of character (the aggregate of qualities that constitute the moral backbone of an individual) (10, 11). Henry Adams encapsulated the legacy of teaching: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

Sponsor As sponsor, the mentor introduces the fellow to a new social world (6). Up to now, the fellow’s world has been parochial. To succeed in research, the fellow needs to learn who’s who among the cast of characters in a subdiscipline. When the fellow first presents a research poster, the mentor lists researchers who have a reputation for helping young people. When these individuals come by the poster, the mentor tells the fellow to be very open in discussing limitations of the study because they will help fix them. The mentor also names another set of individuals who get pleasure out of belittling a fellow, warning the fellow to be on guard when interacting with them. Over time, the mentor instills in the fellow the values and customs that make up the norms of science.

Advisor The mentor serves as advisor and counselor (1, 7). The fellow needs a sounding board and reality check to help refine ideas and gain clarity of thought. Being older, the mentor supplies the missing experience—been there, done that. The fellow doesn’t need someone to pave the road, but needs help in becoming a better navigator. The mentor doesn’t try to personally solve the fellow’s problems, but helps the fellow craft his or her own solution—to become selfreliant. The mentor is not a nursemaid or escort, but a catalyst for growth (5). A good mentor is an amateur psychoanalyst, understanding what makes people tick. The mentor’s greatest contribution may be in listening, saying little. As Rousseau told us, people who know a lot tend to say very little, whereas people who know little speak a lot. A good mentor understands that it is best to give advice only when it is requested (12). Mentoring should not be confused with being a faculty advisor (7, 13). With the latter, the exchange is relatively formal, largely unidirectional, with little if any personal bonding. The exchange may occur only once, whereas mentoring involves years of re peated back and forth, eyeball to eyeball. A student may not view the faculty advisor as a role model, whereas a mentor is always seen as a role model.

Agent The mentor acts as an agent (7). The fellow knows the mentor will go to bat for him or her. The mentor removes obstacles, but only after the fellow has made a convincing attempt. And the mentor is careful to avoid spoonfeeeding, which stunts the development of independence.